Oh, The Joys of Parenting!
by Chiblets
Summary: After being dragged to a wild party by Spirit, Stein wakes up the next morning next to a woman he doesn't know. Immediately, he leaves to return back to his place and life goes on like normal... until 18 years later a girl shows up at his doorstep, claiming to be his daughter. How will Dr. Franken Stein cope with the ups and downs of being a father?
1. Last Night?

**Prologue:**

In His "Youthful" Days

_Professor Franken Stein's P.O.V._

A drink.

Two drinks.

Seven.

Hell, I can't even count.

What hour is it? Where did I allow that idiot to drag me off to this time?

I roll onto my side and breathe in a rather feminine scent. Some kind of a flower. A rose maybe? But why do I smell this? My eyes fly open and the sight of a sleeping woman fills my gaze. I stare, dumbfounded for a moment, before I come to realize the position I'm in.

Please tell me this isn't what I believe to be.

I take a peek under the blankets.

Shit.

_It is._

I sit up rather abruptly and swing my legs over the side of the mattress, getting up to dress as quick as I can without waking the woman. I smooth the creases out of my clothes the moment that I have them on and adjust my glasses on my face. Letting out a puff of breath, I run my fingers through my hair in a frantic attempt to straighten it out.

Turning the screw on my head, I look back to the sleeping woman. Her long, curly brown hair is splayed around her, concealing her small, slender frame. I cannot tell much about her due to lack of lighting, but she seems the type I would like to experiment on, to dissect.

She's probably just another street-walker though; no need to deal with her.

I pull a pack of smokes out of my pocket and light one, holding it between my lips as I exit the premises, not looking back once. Is there any reason I should have?


	2. A Simple Twist Of Fate

**Chapter I**

18 Years Later

_Professor Franken Stein's P.O.V._

"Alright, class is dismissed. We'll continue the dissection tomorrow,"

They all shoot up from their seats and much to my relief all file out as quickly as they can. I place a cigarette between my lips and light it, collecting the quizzes from today in a neat pile. I tuck the papers into a folder and stand, checking the clock. Three o' five. Not bad. I can head out immediately now unless Lord Death needs me for something incredibly stupid.

So it's imperative that I leave as soon as possible.

I turn my screw a few times, my gaze still fixed on the clock, as I organize my thoughts. I then move my hand to the cigarette in my mouth and hold it between my fingers as I draw in a breath. I pause for a couple beats, holding the breath in, and then slowly exhale, smoke crawling out from my parted lips to fill the air around me. Once again I leave the job of holding the rolled tobacco stick to my mouth as I let my eyes wander the room. Dissection tools and specimen are what my eyes see.

_Why those lazy…_

I sigh irritably. I might as well clean up after those barbarians.

Setting the folder back onto my desk, I quickly shuffle to the students' area, my mood now soured, and begin to gather up the tools along with the specimen. I was hoping to get home early after a short stop at the store. What a bother.

In ten minutes the tools are all put in their proper places and the specimen are stored away. I move back to my desk and grab the folder once more, this time with the intent on leaving the room. Before I step out though, I flick the butt of the cigarette out of my mouth.

Finally, just finally, I leave my classroom and head down the halls of the DWMA at my own pace, listening to the echoes of my own footsteps. The bottoms of my shoes click something like a clock, ticking maddeningly in my mind with each and every single step I take. Though I try to ignore it, the sound continues to work its way into my consciousness, reverberating and bouncing off the many fragile walls surrounding the state of my mental being.

Unable to take the noise anymore, I stop in the middle of the hallway and grind my teeth together, raising my free hand to my head. The noise instantly fades, but the effects of it are there still. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths in hopes to calm the throbbing in my head. Bit by bit, the throbbing starts to vanish, though it takes its sweet time in doing so. My eyes open up and it feels as though a bomb has gone off in my head. Pain explodes in my skull and sends me reeling. I stumble back against the wall and slink down onto the cold tile floor.

Noises fill my mind. Noises that I know are only heard by me.

_Shut up. Shut up._

_Please, __**shut up.**_

The noises only escalate. The static and screaming and the goddamn ticking that wears down my barriers grow ever louder with each second that passes. A scream! Static ticking! Tick-tock, scream, static, tick, tick, tick! Scream, once more! Why not?! Scream to your heart's content! Let the static overpower your voice now! Listen to it! Now let's hear the clock! Tick-tock, it goes!

I laugh in what I'm sure is a psychotic manner and cannot seem to stop. So much I laugh, that my sides begin to hurt and my breath comes in gasps. I realize by now that I need to get control of myself, and that I need to calm down. However, it is harder to do this than it seems. The more I try to stop laughing, the harder it gets and the more my mind seems to unravel.

_Get a grip, Stein! You're better than this! _I scold myself harshly and am suddenly able to take control of my actions once more.

The laughter slows down, my breathing becomes normal, and the noises stop all at once. I sigh, softly, and grasp onto the wall as I pull myself into a standing position. The sound of rain harshly splattering against the roof of the DWMA is all I hear now, with the exception of my own breathing. I place the folder of ungraded quizzes into my coat and attempt to take a few steps. When I'm sure I can walk without stumbling like a drunk, I stride the rest of the distance down the empty hallway and venture out of the academy into the pounding rain.

"It's unfortunate that I forgot my umbrella," I mutter to myself and look up at the clouded sky, squinting as the rain falls onto my glasses, blurring my vision. I wipe my spectacles off and begin my walk home, deciding it better that I don't go to the store today.

In mere seconds, I become soaked and shiver slightly. The rain is really pouring down today. I stuff my hands into my pockets and watch my feet, which somehow manage to step into every puddle that covers the stony ground.

A sudden splash catches my attention.

I snap my head up and turn in the direction the noise had come from. There, a girl stands. Her gray hair is short, coming just to the end of her neck, and tipped in black with a spikey ponytail on the back of her head. The girl's bangs are cut straight across and also have that same black at the tips. I imagine that is dyed. Her eyes are a golden, honey color that seems to shine through the gloom of the rain. Interesting feature. I notice that two sets of stitches occupy her face, one traveling from her left cheek to the bridge of her nose and the other goes from her right cheek to the bottom eyelid of the right eye.

"Hm?" I raise a hand to the stitches on my face and stare at her.

She stares back, eyes wide. I continue to study her with interest. Her dress is composed of patches of black and white stitched together. One of the sleeves falls to her elbow while the other is nothing more than a strap. I find this feature odd about her outfit, but considering she is a female, I believe I cannot and probably will not ever understand the concept of what they call fashion. Stitches run across her throat and the beginnings of a few more stitches are present on her shoulder and chest. The girl's arms are covered in, surprisingly, more stitches. A screw runs through each of her wrists and this sparks my curiosity further.

I open my mouth to pose a question to her, but before I am able to make a sound, she darts away. I momentarily consider trailing her, only to discard the idea and continue on my way home. If I stay out much longer I'm bound to fall ill, and I don't need any of that.

All I can think of on my walk back is that girl. I find it funny how much she reminds me of myself. If she hadn't darted off, I would have been able to find out more about those stitches and the screws. What need does that girl have for them? Do they do the same for her as they do me? Does she find joy in dissecting things? Who is she even? So many questions.

After twenty minutes of walking I'm finally back at my house. I step through the front door and take off my soaked shoes. Next I strip off my coat and hang it up, removing the folder from it and tossing it on the table next to me. I trudge to my bedroom and take off the remainder of the wet clothes, quickly changing into a dry pair of pants. I'm simply not going to walk about naked. I go into the bathroom and grab a towel, drying off my glasses and my hair when I hear a rather loud knock at my front door.

"Of course, just when I'm getting comfortable," I grumble and place the towel across my shoulders as I make my way to the door.

Without stopping to look in the peephole, I throw open the door and look down at the person in front of me. I blink in surprise when I see that it is the girl from earlier. We stare at each other blankly, neither of us seeming to know what to say.

"Hello," she says softly, a neutral look upon her face. "Are you Professor Franken Stein?"

I nod. "I am."

She extends a stitched hand to me and this gives me a chance to closer examine the screw going through her wrist. I start to do this when her next words hit me like a slap in the face. "I'm Miyra-Rae. My last name would be Lillis, but considering the fact that in today's society the father's last name is used, it's Stein. I'm your daughter; believe it or not."

"E-excuse me?" I sputter and give her an incredulous look. Daughter? What nonsense is this?

She smiles, not in a kind way though. More so in a sadistic manner. "Isn't that a kick in the ball sack? Having some strange chick showing up at your door claiming to be your kid? Yeah, it must be odd for you."

I shake my head and numbly move to the side, so she can come through the door. "Let's talk about this inside. It's pouring out there."

"Thanks," she lowers her hand to her side and steps into my house, looking around in awe. "Nice place you have here, _Papa_," she compliments, mockingly saying the last word.

I close the door and shudder at the word, motioning for her to follow me as I trudge slowly to the living room. I sit on the couch and wait until she's seated across from me before I start to speak.

"I saw you. You were the girl in the rain, weren't you?"

She nods. "Unless I have a twin running around here, I'd say it was me."

I take a deep breath and wring my hands together. "Alright. What's this business about me being your father? It's impossible. You must have the wrong person."

"No, it's you. You look just as Mother described you, just older," Miyra-Rae counters defensively. "You probably don't remember her though. She said she wasn't as drunk as you were, so she remembered you very well."

_Drunk?_ I think and try to rack my brain for the last time I'd gotten even remotely intoxicated. It comes to me almost immediately and I feel my heart leap to my throat. It was eighteen years ago when I last got drunk. "How…how old are you? Where is your mother now?"

She crosses her arms and glares at me. "I'm eighteen, turning nineteen next month." Miyra-Rae's eyes darken and she looks down into her lap. "She's been dead for eleven years, Stein."

I'm stunned into silence, unable to say a word. My mouth becomes dry and I find that I cannot form a response to this no matter how I try. She fixes her neutral gaze on me for the longest time before she decides to take the conversation into her own hands.

"Yeah, you should remember now. It was just a one night stand. You both got drunk, went too far, and then you left, leaving her with a child,"

"I had no idea she'd gotten pregnant! We didn't even know each other!" I shoot back, feeling warmth rise to my cheeks.

"I didn't say I was blaming you for anything. How were you supposed to know the condom broke?" she says, looking unfazed by what she just said.

Again, this girl renders me speechless.

Damn it all, she really _is _my daughter.


	3. Bonding Time 1

**Chapter II: **

_Professor Franken Stein's P.O.V._

"So… I can have _any _room I choose?"

I turn to Miyra-Rae and shrug. "Any room on the second story…"

"Sweet! Thanks!" she chimes happily and darts out of the kitchen, leaving me alone to tend to my business. Which right now is making a cup of tea for myself.

I lean back against the counter and let out a tired breath, running a hand over my face. Automatically my hand moves to my screw, turning it clockwise a good five times before I can think clearly. It was only last night that she invaded my house, but I feel as though she's been here forever and that I haven't slept a wink in days.

"She's a sweet girl, Stein," Marie's voice suddenly breaks through my thoughts and causes me to jump. "I don't know why you seem so annoyed with her, especially since she's your own daughter."

Here comes the scolding…

"I mean, really! People nowadays take their children for granted! Take Spirit for example! You don't want to end up like him, do you? No! So I suggest you march right upstairs and bond with her! You've been missing from her life for eighteen years! A girl needs her father! Now, off you go!" she finishes her rant and gives me a shove.

I send her a half glare, half blank look before I shake my head and leave the kitchen. I stuff my hands into my pockets and start up the stairs, taking them one by one as slow as I can. I'm not annoyed with Miyra-Rae. Curious actually. Marie is being much too dramatic about the whole ordeal. I have no idea how to even begin being that girl's father! What does she expect me to do? I should have guessed that Marie would be overly protective of Miyra-Rae; it's in her nature. Last night the two hit it off instantly and I'm sure that they're double-teaming me.

As far as appearance goes, I can see how Mirya-Rae and I are alike. I'm not going to lie to myself about it. Our hair is the same light shade of gray; her eyes resemble mine in both shape and color, though her eyes are more honey than golden. The stitches, the screws, the hair, and the eyes. They all lead directly back to me.

And for her mother's features? The honey-tint in her eyes, the fairness of her skin, the shape of her body, and the slight curl at the ends of her hair are features I'm positive her mother passed down to her.

I stop at the top of the stairs, my hand resting softly on the rail as the one and only memory of that child's mother flashes through my mind. I sigh and turn the metal object on my head.

What a strange world this is. Why, who would have ever thought that I, Franken Stein, would be a father? The very idea is preposterous.

_Miyra-Rae Stein's P.O.V._

I sit on the plain, white bedspread of my new mattress, turning the screws in my wrists while I think. Funny, I never would have thought that items so insignificant could collect my thoughts so easily. Amazing, really.

_I wonder. Does blood always run red?_

Glancing around, I pull a razor from my pocket along with a needle and some thread. I set the needle and thread to the side as I firmly grasp the straight razor in my hand. My heart pounds furiously in my ears. I've done this so many times. But will I be able to cut myself open once more?

My eyes widen as the metal hovers over my arm and I start to breathe rather frantically. I have to do this. I need to get rid of this…this madness! Quickly, I press the point of the blade into my forearm and slide it down, creating a large cut. I drop the razor and hide my face in my hands, whimpering slightly at the sting in my arm. I shake as I move my hand down to turn the screws again.

Soon, I calm myself and cease the shaking. I let out a huff of breath and watch the blood profusely gush from the new cut on my forearm. And oddly enough it causes me to smile. Not a genuinely happy smile, of course. One that can be pegged as psychotic, disturbing, _mad._ Where did I get this smile from? Why do I find myself doing things that are considered insane by society's standards?

That is something I'm not quite sure of, but I continue to ponder it while I thread the needle, preparing to stitch the cut closed. It takes me a solid five minutes to thread the damned thing, and by now I'm beyond irritated.

_What is wrong with me? _I mentally ask myself as I slowly, carefully, begin to push the needle through my blood-stained skin and sew it back together. Though I try with all my might, I cannot seem to answer this question.

"I was normal when Mother was alive…," I mumble and scowl, becoming completely disgusted with myself. Of course, why did I not realize it earlier? It was because of her death that I'm the way I am. That must be it. It's so clear to me now. I didn't need the screws until after my mother died. My mind didn't start to unravel until _after _she left this world.

But…

Is it possible that I've always been insane? And that maybe she was just a stabilizer for my madness?

Halfway through the stitching now, I pause and think hard on this. It's very possible that is the case. Now that I think about it, I could never go anywhere without her. If I was not in her presence, I would start to throw fits, like some deranged, ill child.

Maybe…just maybe that's what I am though.

I sigh, but then immediately snap my head up when the creak of a door opening catches my attention. I turn my gaze slowly to the door and gasp softly at the sight of my father peeking curiously through the small crack.

Wonderful, I feel like I'm going to have a _lot _of explaining to do.

I swear I hate him.

_Professor Franken Stein's P.O.V._

I watch quietly as she fixes her obviously startled gaze on me. Her gaze soon transforms into something angry. I push the door to her room open and raise my eyebrows as I take in the scene before my eyes.

A razor rests itself on the floor, blood stains both Miyra-Rae's arm and the white sheets of the bed she is sitting upon, and from what I can tell it seems as though she is trying to stitch the incision on her arm.

I step inside the room and shut the wooden door behind me softly. I stand there in silence for what seems like forever before I get my feet moving and approach the edge of the bed. She looks up at me and I can see something of defiance in her honey eyes. I lean over and pick up the razor, holding it up to the light to inspect it. On it, I can see small spots of her blood.

I shift my eyes to her.

"What? Are you going to chastise me now?"

I shrug and seat myself next to her. "Is that what a father is supposed to do?"

Miyra-Rae scoffs and turns her head away from me to focus on the stitching on her arm. "You should know. _You are my father, after all,_"

"Well, I don't know. I know nothing of parenting," I say, taking her arm and pulling it slightly toward me. "And I cannot say that I've ever wanted to know about it, but I have no choice now."

I feel her flinch and instantly try to move away from me, but I manage to keep a firm grip on her partially stitched arm. I take the needle away from her and begin to finish off closing the wound for her. We sit in an unusually comforting silence while I finish stitching. I tie the knot and use her razor to cut the remaining thread.

"Thanks, Stein…," she mumbles and takes her stuff back from me, stuffing them into the pocket of her skirt.

"Don't mention it, Miyra-Rae,"

She glances at me out of the corner of her eye and wrings her hands. "Just… call me Miyra or Rae. You don't have to call me Miyra-Rae."

I blink, confused by her request. "Why should I not call you by your whole name? It's the name you were given by your mother, and it should be used."

The girl crosses her arms over her chest and moves her eyes to the ceiling. "You know, I don't care. I just thought you'd get tired of saying 'Miyra-Rae' every time you referred to me."

"And why would I get tired of that?"

She huffs.

"I don't know! It was just a thought! Damn! What are you even in here for?"

I turn my screw a couple of time while I think of a response. "Marie recommended that I bond with you."

"Oh,"

We're silent.

"What…what possessed you to do that to yourself?" I ask to break the tension between us.

"So now you decide to be a concerned father?"

"It's not concern; it's curiosity," I say truthfully.

She stands up, fists balled at her side and turns away from me. "I don't know. And it's none of your business anyway."

"Is it insecurity that makes it none of my business?"

"No! Now just…just go away!"

I sigh, pulling a pack of smokes out of my pocket and stand. "If you wish to talk about it, then I'll certainly listen. I'm curious to find out about the metal in your wrists, and your stitches."

With that I walk out, awaiting the scolding I'll receive from Marie.


	4. Enrollment Part 1

**Chapter III**

_Professor Franken Stein's P.O.V._

I sigh, Marie hums happily to herself, and Miyra-Rae silently walks beside me. At the moment, the three of us are heading to the DWMA. Miyra-Rae would have remained at home, but Marie somehow convinced her to come along. Not that I have any problem with that; quite the opposite actually. If we can get her enrolled, I can do a further, more thorough examination of my daughter. Her thoughts, her actions, habits, attitude… it will all be clear to me.

Does that sound like something a father would think about his daughter? It seems fine to me, though considering the look Marie is now giving me I'm not so certain. The woman can practically read my mind, and it is such a bother. I do like to have my own thoughts, however wrong they may seem to the public.

"So, this DWMA place…what's it like? What is it even?" Miyra-Rae asks suddenly, breaking the ominous silence hanging between us. Things haven't been the best since our 'conflict' the other day. I suppose we should reconcile for Marie's sake.

"Hm," I start, searching in my mind for an adequate response to her question. "The DWMA is an academy for weapons and meisters alike to train and things of that matter. We send our weapon-meister pairs on their own missions as well, to test their ability and of course, save us work."

I glance at my…daughter… and see that she's interested. I smile and pat the top of her head, what I assume is an affectionate gesture. Her reaction is the opposite of what I hoped for. She scoffs and turns her head away from me, refusing to look in my direction as we walk. I move my gaze to Marie and she frowns, then gesturing for me to try again.

"The headmaster, Lord Death, is a fruitcake, and your ability will most likely be challenged if you decide you want to enroll," I continue speaking, not really concerned with whether she was listening to me or not. I just want to keep Marie happy and quiet so that I will not be scolded…again. "What do you think, Miyra-Rae?"

She's silent as she looks back at me, her eyes full of hesitance. I wonder why that is. "Well...you did say that you pair up weapons and meisters… correct?"

I nod, curious to hear what she says next.

"What…what if you're both?"

I blink, slightly confused and dumbfounded by her statement. "Both?"

Miyra-Rae's eyes become guarded and she goes on the defensive. "Yeah, both! Is there something wrong with that?!"

"Of course not, it's just…intriguing. I didn't think that you were both a weapon and a meister, Miyra-Rae," I quickly assure her, and her temper seems to die down a little. I know for a fact that she did not get that gruesome temper from me. Must be a trait of her mother's.

"Whatever," she grumbles and crosses her arms over her chest. I can't help but notice a spark of black extends from her fingertips briefly, like a flash of lightning almost. I begin to open my mouth, just to question that display, but she continues speaking. "I just want to know what my options are. Do I have to work by myself or what?"

I think about her inquiry for a moment before I answer her. "I suppose you have a choice. You could be a weapon, meister, or just work as an individual. Whichever suits you best."

Miyra-Rae gazes at the ground below her and black sparks from her fingers once more. "Would I be the only one working alone?"

"There's actually one who doesn't have a partner. But, that is solely because his weapon is bonded to him through blood," I explain, hoping that soothes her conscious in some way. She seems to lighten her mood and the black sparks disappear. My curiosity sparks, much like the blackness and I reach out to grasp her wrist, but Marie stops me, much to my dismay.

Marie shakes her head quickly when I look to her and I comply to her wishes, though reluctantly. I can tell by the way she's now observing Miyra-Rae that she saw the black sparks as well. Maybe, just maybe, I'll have a chance to question Miyra-Rae about them later.

"Is that it?" my-cough, cough-daughter speaks up and points to the DWMA, which is just in front of us.

Marie and I nod to her and soon we're walking the halls of the academy. I'm hoping to make it to Lord Death's office without interference, but that it not possible due to a certain playboy idiot. Marie disappears into my classroom, luckily avoiding Spirit's idiocy and leaving me to deal with it.

"But, but MAKAAAAAAAAA!" Spirit squeals as his daughter storms past Miyra-Rae and I, her face holding an expression of embarrassment. "Come back, Maka-chan! Please, my little girl!"

He runs right into me, causing me to stumble back. I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose and then turn my screw clockwise a couple of times, regarding Spirit with a slightly irritated gaze. Miyra-Rae scoffs at him and he screams like a girl at the sight of me.

"S-S-Stein, funny meeting you here!" he says in a high-pitched voice I find annoying and yet so amusing at the same time.

"Not necessarily. I do work here, after all,"

His eyes scan the hall nervously and he becomes even more scared when he sets his sights on Miyra-Rae. He backs away and runs his gaze over her slowly, and then looks to me, his eyes wide.

"Who is this? She looks just like you!" Spirit exclaims, stating the absolute obvious and irritating me and my daughter even further.

Miyra-Rae makes eye contact with me for a brief moment and smirks, her eyes lighting up mischievously. I smile at her and allow her to explain.

"I'm his daughter, so of course I'd look just like him," her lips twist into a twisted grin. "I can bet I'm just as crazy too."

Spirit yelps at her words and holds his arms in front of him as some sort of defense mechanism. "D-daughter?! Stein has a daughter?! How did that happen?!"

She looks at him as though he were an idiot (which he is) and says simply, "Well, obviously he had sex with a woman and then I was conceived due to a condom breaking. Now here I am, eighteen years later."

I cannot help but gaze away from the two because of her words. She could have put that in a much less humiliating way…

"WHAT?! STEIN ACTUALLY GOT LAID?"

"I know, hard to believe," Miyra-Rae chimes, and I can imagine now that Spirit is staring, mouth wide open, at me. "But I'm living proof he did."

I can feel their eyes on me, staring. I glance back at them and feel awkward by their stares. Miyra-Rae raises her eyebrows at me and Spirit looks at me, surprised. I'm starting to feel even more awkward and am about to lash out at them both when I'm saved from doing so by none other than Lord Death.

"Oh, Stein~! You're here, and so is your beautiful daughter! Please, come, come! Follow me, follow me!"

Miyra-Rae and I exchange a look and smile at each other, which is something that doesn't happen often. We both turn our gaze to Spirit and laugh simultaneously in what I'm sure is a psychotic manner.

Spirit screams and darts off. Wonderful. Now my daughter and I have reached common ground.


	5. Enrollment Part 2

**Chapter IV**

_Miyra-Rae Stein's P.O.V._

"So you must be-"

I'm interrupted.

"Lord Death, yes! I am! You must be Stein's lovely daughter, Miyra! It's a pleasure to meet you, and welcome to the DWMA!" I can't help but give the headmaster of this institution a bewildered look as he flashes me a peace sign. Ha, that's so lame.

"Uh…ok…?" is all I can manage to say in response to this.

My father laughs quietly beside me. I shoot him a glare, hoping it'll shut him up. It doesn't work, unfortunately. I feel my temper flare and a familiar warmth envelopes my fingertips. Stein glances down at my hands and curiosity lights up his eyes. I frown and immediately hide my hands from him. He catches my eye and I can tell easily that he wants to know. He wants to know what is wrong with me, and he'll find out eventually. I know this, because my own curiosity and will to…experiment, to discover the answers to all of my tedious questions about exactly who the hell I am, I'm positive I inherited from that man. Maybe…maybe we are a lot alike. I won't deny it. As well as a few of my personality traits, I also gained his height. My mother was a short woman; I'd say she would have just come up to his chest, while I myself am proud to say that I make it to his shoulders.

"Let's break this awkward silence, shall we! So Miyra, are you thinking of enrolling into the DWMA? Lord Death asks me, thankfully distracting both my father and I from my abnormality.

I consider his question for a moment, and then nod slowly. "I've thought about it, honestly. I'll enroll if you'll allow someone like me."

Lord Death blinks and a sudden air of confusion surrounds us, primarily him though. "Someone like you? What exactly does that mean, my dear?"

I'm silent for what seems like a damned eternity in my mind, feeling as though the wind has just been knocked right out of me, leaving me breathless. _What does that mean? _Does it even mean anything?

"I guess it means I'm a freak of nature, and you'd be a fool to let me enroll here," I say, resorting to insulting myself to get me out of this awkward situation.

"I must be a fool then, Miss Stein," the headmaster states, surprising me a great deal and causing me to look at him a whole new way. "I expect great things from you, being the daughter of one of our most skilled meisters. Again, welcome to the DWMA!"

I can feel a mixture of happiness and shock rise in my chest, and I can't help but grin. Not a creepy grin, a happy one. Excited, I turn to my stoic-looking father and jump on him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck and laughing. A sound of pure joy. He then becomes rigid, ruining my moment of joy, and I find that my mood is beginning to deteriorate. I release him and take a step back, studying the expression on his stitched face. Stein's face wears an expression of puzzlement blended with uneasiness. That's fine. If he wants to be that way, then he can. As if I flipping care! I don't give a shit! Nope! Sure as hell don't! It's totally normal for a father to do that! What a dick.

I can't stand to gaze at him any longer, so I turn away from my father and face Lord Death once more.

"Lord Death, shall we get the papers ready then?" Stein speaks up, seeming to recover from my oh-so 'inappropriate' action. I sneak a brief glance at him and for some reason find myself becoming sad.

The headmaster claps his giant hands and seems to overall lighten the mood with his presence. "Hmmmm, let's just put it off! Go ahead and let her attend your class!"

My father and I take this as a sign of dismissal. We exit Lord Death's office and walk silently down the hallway. My mood falters even more and I sense a wave of depression coming over me.

It was just a hug…is that really so bad…?

I start to snap. My breathing quickens and the air around me becomes thick with…madness. With shaking hands, I begin to turn the screws in my wrists in hopes to clear my mind and stay in control of myself. It's not going so well. My vision clouds over with a foggy haze and I find it extremely difficult to maneuver through the hall. I stumble about a little and despite my blurred sight, I somehow manage to make it to the wall and slide to the floor. The cold, tile floor.

I laugh.

Psycho, crazy, psychotic, in-san-ityyyy! Insanity!

My fingers twitch and so do my eyes. I laugh again, though clearly nothing at all is funny, and my twitching increases to an uncontrollable rate. I bite down on my bottom lip to try and suppress my crazed laughter, but even when I do this it can still be heard. It's muffled and sounds ten times worse that way.

"Miyra-Rae, can you hear me?" my father's voice cuts through the madness engulfing me and somehow brings my senses back, a bit.

I continue to laugh, though I have the ability to think rationally back. With difficulty, I take control of the twitching in my face and look up to see Stein's face, noticing that he looks curious. But… I can see that there's also concern there. Good…that's good. My laughter subsides and the twitching calms, leaving me at the brink of exhaustion.

"Miyra-Rae?"

I blink, trying to shake off my grogginess the best I can.

"D-daddy…?" What's wrong with me? "I'm mad, aren't I?"

He sighs and picks me up, realizing I probably don't have the energy to stand by myself.

And I'm out like a light.


	6. Never Easy

**Chapter 5**

_Professor Franken Stein's P.O.V._

"Stein, you can't just leave her there by herself…."

"What else am I to do? If I stay, I know what you'll worry about. You'll worry I'll dissect her in her sleep," I retort, my mood souring with every word spilling from my lips. "And I can't promise that I won't. You know me better than anyone."

Marie looks exasperated and this ignites my temper further. I turn away from her to look at my daughter and light a cigarette. I draw in a breath, hold it, and then slowly let it out, watching the smoke escape my lips.

"What do you want me to do, Marie? Hm?" I growl, glancing over my shoulder at the blonde woman behind me.

She sighs and places a hand on my back. "I just want you to be her father. I'm not trying to lecture you, Stein, but she's been alone for a while. She's had no one to turn to, and now that she's found you…well I think she deserves a little comfort."

"I don't know how to do that! I can't just immediately take the responsibility thrust upon me! It's not that simple, Marie! It won't ever be that simple,"

"Of course it's not. Being a parent isn't supposed to be simple," Marie softly explains to me. "There's so easy way out, and sometimes…well sometimes you'll get agitated with it all, but when you lay your head down at the end of the day…you'll see that it's all worth it. I trust you, Stein. You stay in here until she wakes up, and I'll go make us some tea."

I silently absorb her words into my mind and immediately try to figure out the meaning of them. What does she mean by all of that? Is there some hidden meaning behind her words? Is there something that I am missing?

"It's love, Stein. That's what makes it all worth it," she answers my unvoiced question and snatches my cigarette out of my mouth. "Now, I won't have you smoking in that child's room. Go on now, try to communicate with her. She needs you."

Before I can respond, Marie is walking down the hallway, leaving me by myself. I sigh loudly, irritated at having my smoke taken from me. I step further into my daughter's room and close the door behind me quietly. I approach her bed and seat myself on the edge. I glance at her sleeping face and note the features there. There are dark bruises under her eyes that signify stress and lack of rest. I reach out and lightly touch the stitches on her face. A familiar black spark jumps off the stitches and slices open my hand, causing me to jump back in surprise.

"What was that…?" I inquire, my shock transforming into an uncontainable curiosity.

I pull my hand back and pull some gauze out of my jacket, proceeding to wrap my bleeding hand. Is that black spark some sort of defense mechanism? Could that be her…power…?

Miyra-Rae groans and opens her eyes slowly, looking at me as though she is looking through a haze. Her stare is blank and is takes her a good moment to realize I'm even here. She sits up and I notice her hair, which is not in its usual spiked ponytail, is ruffled and knotted, sticking up in all directions. My daughter's eyes move to my wrapped hand and she frowns, reaching over and gently picking it up.

"…What happened to you…? The wound in fresh, I can tell. It happened within the last five minutes or so," she says to me wearily.

I point to her face, right at one of the pairs of stitches, and mumble, "Your stitches…what power do they hold, Miyra-Rae? They don't just come from wounds of self-experimentation…do they?"

She releases my injured hand and looks away from me. Now I've got her.

"How…how would you know about that…? The experimentation, that is," Miyra-Rae asks me, skillfully avoiding my question.

My lips curve into a knowing smile as I tap my facial scar. She glances back at me and her eyes shine with amazement. Miyra-Rae turns to face me directly and touches the stitch on my own face.

"You too…?"

"You've got it,"

She pulls her hand back and blinks. "So…I guess that's where I got it…"

"That would be a logical deduction, Miyra-Rae. Now…if you will, tell me about your powers. What exactly are they?"

Miyra-Rae sits in silence for a moment, leading me to wonder if she'll ever answer. She holds her hand out, as if she wants something, and fixes a stoic expression on her face. I raise an eyebrow at her and wait for her to explain.

"Hand me your scalpel, I know you have one. Let me show you something, father,"

With slight reluctance, I fish my scalpel out of the inside of my coat and place it in her hand. She closes her hand around it and takes a deep breath, the glint in her eyes betraying her hesitance. Miyra-Rae makes a small incision on her finger and much to my surprise, instead of seeing the normal maroon tint of blood, black liquid oozes from the cut.

"Black blood? How is that possible? The blood staining your sheets a few days ago ran red," I say, leaning closer to observe the tint of the blood.

"My mother's blood was black, and I'm assuming that yours is red,"

I lean back and frown, thinking on her words. Black blood is something created by Medusa, who we've recently discovered to be a witch, and Miyra-Rae's mother had primarily black blood. This…this is very suspicious. The black blood strengthens its host physically but spreads through the body, also spreading madness. I wonder how long Miyra-Rae's mother had the black blood…if it took over her whole body.

"Miyra-Rae," I begin, "was your mother a witch, by any chance?"

Her expression hardens and her eyes are afire. She glares at me with such fierceness that I can't help but wonder if looks can kill, after all. The blood spilling from her finger hardens and shoots toward me, wrapping around me like a tight rope. I twitch and feel uncomfortable with the position I'm now in.

"How dare you…bastard! My mother was in no way a witch or even associated with them!" Miyra-Rae growls savagely and her fingers move in a jerky motion, tightening the black cord around me.

By her outrageous reaction I assume that she either knew nothing of her mother being involved with witches, or she's just protecting her mother's memory.

"Forgive me, Miyra-Rae. I don't mean to be rude, it's just peculiar for one to have black blood, considering it was developed by a woman we've recently discovered to be a witch. Tell me, was your mother acquainted with a snake-like woman known by the name Medusa?"

Miyra-Rae loosens her hold on the black blood rope and falters. The rope retreats back into her body and the look on her face is one of defeat, hurt.

"She couldn't have…that's not right. My mother wasn't associated with anyone like that!" she took slow, hardly calm breaths and pointed to her door. "Leave, please. I don't want to hurt you, Stein! But if you continue to accuse my mother of such awful things, I will."

I turn my screw clockwise a few times and stand up. If she wants me to leave, then I will, gladly. Women are a nuisance when they're angry.

"I apologize, Miyra-Rae. As wrong of me as it was to ask you those questions, they were fair," I tell her quietly, oddly feeling some remorse for what I said. "I don't mean to ruin your image of her. Believe me, Mirya-Rae."

Surprisingly she swings her legs over the bed and stands as well. She steps toward me and gives me a quick, awkward hug. "I…I forgive you. Can you please just leave me alone for a while? I'll talk to you about all of this later…but I won't like it."

I sigh and pat her back gently. I turn and silently leave the room. We're going to have a talk about her deceased mother later…those things are never easy.


	7. A Glimpse At The Past

**Chapter VI**

_Miyra-Rae Stein's P.O.V._

"_Momma, who's the lady at the door?"_

"_She's just a friend of mine, Miyra. Go back to bed, darling," my mother told me and brushed my bangs gently out of my face._

_I hugged her before I obediently turned back down the hallway to my room. I sat on my bed, legs crossed, and opened the book in front of me. So absorbed was I in the words, I soon forgot about the strange lady at our door and my mother altogether. It was only when a loud crack of lightning filled my ears. I snapped my head up, eyes alit with fear, and slammed the book closed. Jumping up, I immediately fled my dark room and padded down the hall, seeking out the security of my mother's embrace. I ignored the woman seated Indian-style next to my mother and leaped onto her lap._

"_M-Miyra-Rae! What's the matter, sweetheart?" my mother asked me, her expression revealing that she was startled by my sudden entrance.  
I wrapped my small arms around her and hid my face in her chest, feeling tears gather in my eyes. Being only five years old at the time, I foolishly feared lightning more than anything else. "T-the noise…the noise scared me…"_

_My mother let out a small, tired sigh and held me. I squeezed my eyes closed and kept an even tighter grip on her, unwilling to let her go anytime soon._

"_It's alright, darling. It was just the lightning. It's not going to hurt you, baby,"_

"_How do you know that, momma?" I questioned her, my young mind unable to accept her words._

_She chuckled softly and rocked me back and forth, lightly threading her fingers through my hair. "Because, sweet girl, that big bad lightning would have to cross me to do any harm to you, and nothing can get past your mother."_

_I thought hard on what she said, taking my time to break down the meaning behind what she was telling me. I nodded, slowly, after what seemed like an hour in my mind. "You promise…?"_

"_Of course, I promise. No, I swear on my own life, sweetheart," my mother replied quietly, as if we were sharing a secret of sorts._

"_Who is this, Desdemona? Your daughter?" the strange lady suddenly piped up, drawing my attention to her._

_The lady was dressed casually in a baggy pair of capris and an oversized hoodie, which earlier I'd noticed from my brief glimpse of her concealed her face. But then, her hood was down, revealing the blonde hair and scary smile, accented by snake-like yellow eyes. She stared at me with such interest that I was worried she was going to kidnap me or something. Thinking this, I held on tighter to my mother and narrowed my eyes at the woman._

"_Yes, Medusa. This is my daughter," my mother answered her question without hesitation._

"_Your _blood _daughter?" the lady I knew then to be Medusa asked, eyeing me with even more interest._

_My mother paused, as if contemplating whether or not to respond to such an odd question. "Yes, she is my blood daughter," finally, my mother replied, her overa__ll grip on me tightening._

"_Ah," the lady smirked at me, sending ice cold shivers down my spine. "Where is her father?"_

_I tilted my head in confusion and raised my brows at the lady. I'd known absolutely nothing about my father, or if such a man even existed. "My…father? What's a father?"_

_My eyes left the strange Medusa lady and traveled to my mother's face. She looked down at me, a certain sadness darkening her honey tinted eyes. I wondered why._

"_She doesn't know what a father is?" Medusa mused. "How sad."_

"_What is it?!" I squeaked out._

_Medusa laughed in a mocking way and I'm sure she mimicked my high pitched tone at one point between her cackles._

_I was feeling very embarrassed with the way Medusa mocked me. It sparked a dark anger in me that rarely revealed itself at that point of my life. I turned my head slowly to the woman, my eyes flaring with rage as I ripped myself from my mother's arms. Mother gasped at my sudden movement and reached for me. I, however, darted out of her reach and strode toward Medusa._

_I'm not sure what I did next…it's very vague in my mind. All I can recall is lunging at the woman, the black lightning sparking from my pale fingertips for the first time. Everything got blurry then…my senses clouded over._

"_Vector Plate," Medusa's now muffled voice snickered and I found myself being flung backwards into the wall. _

_I screamed, a natural reaction for a child my age, and growled, the black lightning spreading across the floor toward the malicious lady. Before she could move out of the way, the spark traveled over her cheek, instantly creating a small gash there._

"_Why you little...," the snake lady hissed at me, rising quickly to her feet and looking down at me hatefully. "Nake snake cobra cobubra."_

"_Medusa, stop this! I will not have you harming my daughter!" my mother shrieked and rooted herself in front of me, taking a defensive stance with her arms crossed like an X over her chest. Her voice, normally smooth and soft, became rough and aggressive as she mumbled words I couldn't hear under her breath._

_I gazed at my mother in awe as the dragon tattoo circling the length of her right leg came to life, surrounding me in a protective manner. Medusa snorted and rolled up one of her sleeves, revealing her own course of moving tattoos._

"_Miyra,"_

"_Yes, momma…?" I asked._

"_Close your eyes…and don't open them no matter what you hear," she whispered, smiling back at me._

_I did as she asked and whimpered. This was going to go wrong…terribly, terribly wrong. I could feel it… I heard a gasp, and then a scream. I still didn't open my eyes though, due to the instructions given to me._

"_M-momma…?" Minutes passed and still I received no answer. "A-are you ok…?"_

_Unable to stand it anymore, I thrust my eyes open and just like I feared, there was no one. Not even my mother's protective dragon remained. My eyes welled up with tears as I jumped to my feet._

"_MOMMA! MOMMA!" I shrieked and checked every nook and cranny for my mother._

_I never found her…and quite frankly, I lied when I said my mother died from sickness. She merely disappeared one day. I'd given up all hope..._

I open my eyes, which are now filled with tears. Stein was right…my mother was a witch, she was associated with Medusa. But I can't admit it. Not to my father.


End file.
